Lautering and Extract Efficiency

thomcat333 · 12-09-2007, 09:35 AM

Although it's consistent, I'd like to improve my ~69-70% extraction efficiency and have a few questions...

1) Is a 45 to 60 minute lauter long enough for a typical 5-gallon batch, or should this be taking longer?
2) Should I be aiming for a specific lauter flow rate (given a 5-gallon batch scale)?
3) Could a conservative crush knock my efficiency down as much as 10%?
4) Should I be gently stirring the mash occasionally to help sugars get into solution?
5) Is a mash-out key for good extraction? I usually just sparge with 160ish F water.
6) In a good lauter operation, should the mash tun be running dry as you finish collection? I always have some wort left in the bottom (maybe 1-1.5 gallons or so).

Please don't flame me too bad... I know there are a ton of efficiency threads on here.

Thanks

**Catfish** · 12-09-2007, 11:05 AM

1) Is a 45 to 60 minute lauter long enough for a typical 5-gallon batch, or should this be taking longer?

Yep, plenty long enough

2) Should I be aiming for a specific lauter flow rate (given a 5-gallon batch scale)?

Slow enough to have even flow through out the grain bed and not compact the grains.

3) Could a conservative crush knock my efficiency down as much as 10%?

Yes. Crush until you are scared.

4) Should I be gently stirring the mash occasionally to help sugars get into solution?

No (Unless you're batch sparging)

5) Is a mash-out key for good extraction? I usually just sparge with 160ish F water.

No.

6) In a good lauter operation, should the mash tun be running dry as you finish collection? I always have some wort left in the bottom (maybe 1-1.5 gallons or so).

If your OCD is acting up.

GrantLee63 · 12-09-2007, 11:17 AM

Quote:

4) Should I be gently stirring the mash occasionally to help sugars get into solution?

Like Catfish said, do not stir, but ..... I found by gently 'breaking' up the grain bed with a piece of stainless, 1/4" rod every 10-15 minutes, my efficiency went up about 5%. Why? Because it prevents 'channeling' ...... where the sparge water kinda' finds paths through the grain bed and doesn't rinse all the grain as efficiently as it can.

Try it ..... you'll be surprised at what happens.

- GL63

**Orfy** · 12-09-2007, 11:18 AM

This doesn't answer your question but I think you could negate 5 out of 6 of those concerns by batch sparging.

thomcat333 · 12-09-2007, 11:35 AM

I'm using the mill at the local HBS, and I am thinking that it's not a very fine crush. Also I'll try breaking up the bed a bit. As for batch sparging, maybe someday, but I have this stupid compulsion to make the fly sparging work well... I dunno. Thanks again!

**Bobby_M** · 12-09-2007, 12:34 PM

Soulive and I just brewed side by side and hit 94 and 89% respectively doing batch sparging. I see no reason to strugle with fly.

Soulive · 12-09-2007, 12:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bobby_M

Soulive and I just brewed side by side and hit 94 and 89% respectively doing batch sparging. I see no reason to strugle with fly.

Yeah, its true. I can't really explain the magic, but its real

**Bobby_M** · 12-09-2007, 12:59 PM

Shhhh. I rewrote the code in Beertools to fool everyone.

**Catfish** · 12-09-2007, 01:22 PM

Run your grains through twice.
Poor efficiency is 99% poor crush.

**ajf** · 12-09-2007, 01:54 PM

1) Is a 45 to 60 minute lauter long enough for a typical 5-gallon batch, or should this be taking longer?
Not in my experience (fly sparging). I take 75 - 90 minutes, and get a few percent better efficiency with a 90 minute sparge rather than 75.

2) Should I be aiming for a specific lauter flow rate (given a 5-gallon batch scale)?
It works better with a consistent flow rate, but needs slight adjustments throughout the sparge as the viscosity of the wort decreases.

3) Could a conservative crush knock my efficiency down as much as 10%?
As the others have said - definitely

4) Should I be gently stirring the mash occasionally to help sugars get into solution?
Never when fly sparging

5) Is a mash-out key for good extraction? I usually just sparge with 160ish F water.
You want the grain bed to be about 168 when sparging. At the very least, you should increase the temperature of your sparge water to about 175.
When I started doing a mash out, my efficiency increased from 75% to 85%. I put this down to decreasing the viscosity of the wort and increasing the solubility of the sugars at the higher temperature.

6) In a good lauter operation, should the mash tun be running dry as you finish collection? I always have some wort left in the bottom (maybe 1-1.5 gallons or so).
I have the same, and it doesn't seem to hurt.

-a.